If necessary, you can review the the IPlan Assignment sheet here. Complete the process shown in the diagram below by following the steps and answering the questions for each step.
a. Take a few minutes to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.
Teaching Strengths - knowledgeable in my subject areas, using different approaches to help students understand a topic, able to learn from my students, respond to feedback and critique well, flexible, evaluate my lessons
Teaching Weaknesses - giving clear/concrete directions, going through material too fast, over-plan certain topics and end up taking too long to cover it all, figuring out different methods of classroom management for different classes, getting students to want to do their homework
b. Describe some of your students' strengths and needs that you have noticed so far.
Student Strengths - following routine (i.e doing warm-ups at the beginning of class), asking questions when unsure/confused, a desire to learn more when they are interested in the topic, respect
Student Needs - motivation, clear direction, structure, supportive belief in their abilities
c. Download and complete this URI Self Evaluation form based on one of the lessons you taught last week. Be sure to write down specific evidence from either your lesson plan or your memory of your enactment for each assessment you give. Use a highlighter to identify areas of your teaching/lesson that were either below standard or that you feel needs improvement.
a. Review your school improvement document(s). (If you forgot them, download a SALT visit.)
b. Synthesize your review by completing the following table as best your can:
What is the need?
How will improvement help your students?
How will improvement help your school?
RIBT Standard/Element Addressed?
1.
Need methods to motivate students and express support for them and their abilities.
Students will be eager to learn and stay enthusiastic about material. If support is shown to them, they will believe in themselves and the work they do - results in more quality work and understanding.
Student body and faculty will be more positive and the learning environment will be more productive.
Need to identify student learning styles in an effort to match instruction to student strengths and needs.
Individual students will have a greater chance of understanding the material the being engaged. As a result, students will be more confident in what they are doing and achieve mastery.
In the school as a whole, there will be a greater interest in learning and understanding will be enhanced, if students are learning in ways conducive to their strengths and needs.
Since classes are heterogeneously mixed, the need is to recognize the importance of these heterogeneous groupings in the classroom.
All students will be able to excel in the classroom. Material and assignments can be adjusted for students, or students can be strategically grouped to provide those who need it extra help and those who need a challenge a teaching role/more responsibility.
Teachers will be aware of how to use heterogeneous grouping to their advantage. All students will benefit and perform better in the classroom.
Need to involve parents meaningfully in their children's education to improve student outcomes.
Students will have a stronger support system at home if their parents are involved and aware of their child's education in a meaningful way. As a result, students will perform better in school.
A closer connection between the school and community will result. There will be greater parent interest and involvement in the school overall.
7.2, 9.1, 9.4, 10.1, 11.2, 11.4
Formulate a professional development goal based the needs that you have identified. This goal should be:
measurable/observable
should lead to improvement of teaching, student achievement, and/or improvement of learning environment.
should describe new knowledge or skills that you will acquire and how that knowledge/skill will affect the school/district setting.
linked to applicable Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards and elements, e.g. RIBTS 2.4.
In the space below, describe your professional development goal. In a second paragraph, use the information above to provide a rationale for your goal by explaining the personal need that it will address as well as how addressing this goal benefits your students and your school.
I. Professional Development Goal
The professional development goal I am focusing on is based on the guidance of the North Kingstown High School strategic plan for their school. There is a need in the school for teachers to identify student learning styles in an effort to match instruction to student strengths and needs. As a way to get to know my students better, I will do an activity on multiple intelligences with them so everyone can identify their strengths and weaknesses in the various learning styles. With this inventory, both the students and I will be aware of how each individual learns best, and I will keep a record on file to refer back to. Most students will have strengths in more than one area, and many students will have similar strengths and weaknesses. To help students excel in their strengths and work on their weaknesses, my lessons and activities will continuously take a tour through the different learning styles. For class assignments and activities students will have the opportunity to experience various styles of learning, but to allow all students to excel on projects and presentations, they will be given a choice. Having students display their understanding of the material is most important, so whether they do it musically, written out, through diagrams, or in a different way, will be up to them.
My professional development goal is to create an inventory of my students’ strong and weak learning styles, and use this knowledge to match instruction to their needs. Personally, it will be very rewarding to see more students excel as they work in their strong learning styles and further explore their weaknesses. Students will gain the direct benefit by being able to learn in a way they are comfortable with, and in return it will build their confidence and foster their enthusiasm to learn. To stay up to date with how students learn through these various styles, I will gather new knowledge through research of various learning styles and how students with certain styles learn best. Furthermore, I will attend related workshops/lectures, when possible, on using various learning styles in the classroom. I will share my knowledge with other teachers, either through individual conversations, in small groups, or via the school email all teachers are required to use. Sharing my knowledge and providing examples of how I am addressing various learning styles in my classroom, will hopefully get other teachers to do the same and allow more students in the school to excel in their own ways. My professional development goal addresses Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards 4.1, 7.1, 8.2, 9.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4.
Now that you have a PD goal, think about what type of learning opportunities you will participate in to address your needs. Use these links to investigate learning options:
Based on what you have found out, write a 1-2 paragraph narrative outlining at least two ways (PD categories) you will engage in engage in by the end of your first year of teaching. For each activity, explain how you think it will address the need that you have identified.
II. Professional Development Plan
Conferences/Workshops & Training Sessions
My professional development goal is focused around a current area of great interest, so there are research and studies currently being done on different learning styles and how to implement them. A quick Google search on available workshops and conferences focused on student learning styles returned a large number of opportunities, both at the high school and college level. Through these workshops and trainings I will obtain current information about various learning styles, learn how to effectively address different learning styles in my classroom, and acquire activities to use in my classroom that allows students to find their strengths and weaknesses related to how they learn.
Collaborative and Partnership Activities
Working with colleagues, I can engage in study groups, research, mentoring, and be supervised in working towards my professional development goal. In these collaborative groups we can share ideas related to how we are addressing the various learning styles of students and guide each other towards implementing these practices most effectively. I have already set up a professional network with colleagues in the North Kingstown High School science department, and without hesitation they would be willing to contribute ideas and hold discussions on addressing learning styles in their classrooms.
Print your PD plan to PDF
Post your PD Plan to True Outcomes
Return to True Outcomes to evaluate a peer's plan the following week.
EDC 484 IPlan Synthesis
If necessary, you can review the the IPlan Assignment sheet here. Complete the process shown in the diagram below by following the steps and answering the questions for each step.
You can review the Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards (RIBTs) here.
a. Take a few minutes to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.
b. Describe some of your students' strengths and needs that you have noticed so far.
c. Download and complete this URI Self Evaluation form based on one of the lessons you taught last week. Be sure to write down specific evidence from either your lesson plan or your memory of your enactment for each assessment you give. Use a highlighter to identify areas of your teaching/lesson that were either below standard or that you feel needs improvement.
a. Review your school improvement document(s). (If you forgot them, download a SALT visit.)
b. Synthesize your review by completing the following table as best your can:
Formulate a professional development goal based the needs that you have identified. This goal should be:
In the space below, describe your professional development goal. In a second paragraph, use the information above to provide a rationale for your goal by explaining the personal need that it will address as well as how addressing this goal benefits your students and your school.
I. Professional Development Goal
The professional development goal I am focusing on is based on the guidance of the North Kingstown High School strategic plan for their school. There is a need in the school for teachers to identify student learning styles in an effort to match instruction to student strengths and needs. As a way to get to know my students better, I will do an activity on multiple intelligences with them so everyone can identify their strengths and weaknesses in the various learning styles. With this inventory, both the students and I will be aware of how each individual learns best, and I will keep a record on file to refer back to. Most students will have strengths in more than one area, and many students will have similar strengths and weaknesses. To help students excel in their strengths and work on their weaknesses, my lessons and activities will continuously take a tour through the different learning styles. For class assignments and activities students will have the opportunity to experience various styles of learning, but to allow all students to excel on projects and presentations, they will be given a choice. Having students display their understanding of the material is most important, so whether they do it musically, written out, through diagrams, or in a different way, will be up to them.
My professional development goal is to create an inventory of my students’ strong and weak learning styles, and use this knowledge to match instruction to their needs. Personally, it will be very rewarding to see more students excel as they work in their strong learning styles and further explore their weaknesses. Students will gain the direct benefit by being able to learn in a way they are comfortable with, and in return it will build their confidence and foster their enthusiasm to learn. To stay up to date with how students learn through these various styles, I will gather new knowledge through research of various learning styles and how students with certain styles learn best. Furthermore, I will attend related workshops/lectures, when possible, on using various learning styles in the classroom. I will share my knowledge with other teachers, either through individual conversations, in small groups, or via the school email all teachers are required to use. Sharing my knowledge and providing examples of how I am addressing various learning styles in my classroom, will hopefully get other teachers to do the same and allow more students in the school to excel in their own ways. My professional development goal addresses Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards 4.1, 7.1, 8.2, 9.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4.
Now that you have a PD goal, think about what type of learning opportunities you will participate in to address your needs. Use these links to investigate learning options:
Based on what you have found out, write a 1-2 paragraph narrative outlining at least two ways (PD categories) you will engage in engage in by the end of your first year of teaching. For each activity, explain how you think it will address the need that you have identified.
II. Professional Development Plan
Conferences/Workshops & Training Sessions
My professional development goal is focused around a current area of great interest, so there are research and studies currently being done on different learning styles and how to implement them. A quick Google search on available workshops and conferences focused on student learning styles returned a large number of opportunities, both at the high school and college level. Through these workshops and trainings I will obtain current information about various learning styles, learn how to effectively address different learning styles in my classroom, and acquire activities to use in my classroom that allows students to find their strengths and weaknesses related to how they learn.
Collaborative and Partnership Activities
Working with colleagues, I can engage in study groups, research, mentoring, and be supervised in working towards my professional development goal. In these collaborative groups we can share ideas related to how we are addressing the various learning styles of students and guide each other towards implementing these practices most effectively. I have already set up a professional network with colleagues in the North Kingstown High School science department, and without hesitation they would be willing to contribute ideas and hold discussions on addressing learning styles in their classrooms.